[HPforGrownups] Re: Lifespans?... Molly and Hagrid

[heather the buzzard]

No: HPFGUIDX 131626

Alisha:

>>I'm curious as to what makes you place Molly between Hagrid and 
>>McGonagall.  I've always seen her as younger than Hagrid.  Could you 
>>clarify your reasoning for that?
>>    
>>
>
>
>bboyminn:
>
>Hagrid was 13 fifty years ago when the Chamber was opened. That makes
>him 63 during 'Chamber of Secrets'. 
>
>Again in CoS, Molly comments on OG the Gamekeeper before Hagrid. That
>makes it appear as if Molly was in school before Hagrid; although, it
>is possible that their Hogwarts careers overlapped; 
>

heather now:
Ah, but we don't know when Hagrid became gamekeeper, do we?  I doubt 
that he got the job straight after being expelled, at age 13.

Besides which, doesn't Hagrid say that DD got him the job?  And DD 
wasn't headmaster until much later.  I think DD became HM just around 
the time that MWPP started at Hogwarts, because of the way Lupin 
explained that his parents had been worried that he wouldn't be able to 
go to Hogwarts (after being bit at age 9, IIRC) until DD became HM, then 
things became OK. 

Do we even know if Hagrid was gamekeeper while MWPP were at Hogwarts?  
We know that he *knew* them, but does it say anywhere that he was 
actually at Hogwarts in that job?  I would expect that he was... it's 
also possible that DD convinced the previous headmaster to hire Hagrid 
even before he was HM himself.  But even so, I doubt it was right after 
being expelled.

Even if he was kept on right away, it would have been as an apprentice 
under the current fellow (presumably Og).  It would take awhile to train 
him up in all the secrets of the forest and keeping of the grounds, etc.

bboyminn:

>Molly seems to know who McGonagall is, but gives no sense
>of familiarity that you would expect if they had gone to school
>together. So Hagrid is 63 in CoS, we can assume that McGonagall is 71
>in CoS. That puts my guess at Molly's age at about 68. That puts a
>substantial gap between her and Hagrid, and a smaller but significant
>gap between her and McGonagall. 
>  
>

heather now:
Except that McGonagall *IS* described as being "old" in the books.  When 
she gets zapped by the ministry guys, Pomfrey's reaction is "oh my, and 
at HER AGE", meaning she's old and thus less resistant to direct 
attacks, less hale and hearty. 

We never hear anything like that about Molly and Arthur.  They're 
described as still being full of vigour, with no grey hair (heh). Now 
they aren't YOUNG and they certainly are older than Harry's parents, 
since Bill is all growed up himself, but they are not described in terms 
that would make it appear they were in the same generation as McGonagall 
at all.

Anyway, I think this all hinges on when-Hagrid-became-gamekeeper, and as 
far as I know there is NO canon that says it was at age 13.  I expect he 
would not have officially had the job until he was fully an adult, and 
probably only after apprenticing as well -- Also remember, the previous 
gamekeeper would not have been FIRED just so that Hagrid would get a 
timely position.  He stayed there until he retired, then Hagrid took over.

heather the buzzard